Gruenhut Seeks Smaller, 'Slicker' Council

Undergraduate Council presidential contender Jonathan Gruenhut '00 describes himself as "the only candidate who sees the U.C. as a council with a mission."

Gruenhut, of Winthrop House, says the council should become a "central, driving force in the entire campus," but first needs reform. "The council should take care of itself, and then go accomplish [its objectives]," he says.

Cutting the number of council representatives and ending popular elections of the council's top leadership would create a "slicker" council, Gruenhut says.

And, he says, a reformed council would be better equipped to deal with universal keycard access, Core reform and improved academic advising.

"The U.C. should be smaller and more direct and have more influence in campus affairs, and although it's [an] unpopular [idea], it should be powerful," Gruenhut says.

A Winthrop House representative since January, he describes the council as "a bureaucratic nightmare," and "its own biggest enemy."

Decreasing the number of representatives would promote more competition for seats and a smaller council will increase the participation of individual members, he says.

According to Gruenhut, council members, and possibly House committees, should elect the president and vice president. Popular elections began in 1995, but Gruenhut says, "Most of the student body has no idea what goes on in the U.C."

A proponent of universal keycard access and an end to randomization, Gruenhut's platform also extends to academic concerns.

He dubs the current core program "fairly shocking," pointing out that only one Monday, Wednesday, Friday Foreign Cultures course is currently being offered.

Gruenhut also advocates reforming the academic advising system. "I'm convinced that a lot of advisers cannot match their advisees' names with their faces," he says.

Advisers should have a better sense of "ordinary, every day life on campus," including course requirements and college policy, and should have increased contact with their advisees, he says.

Gruenhut also supports increased funding for student organizations--"at least a$10,000 shift."

Student groups play a vital role on campus, onethat the council cannot always fill, he says."There are some things the U.C. can't provide.[There are those] students who want to see Gilbertand Sullivan, and not everyone on the U.C. has thegreatest singing voice."

Gruenhut cites a smaller budget for Springfestas a possible source of revenue. "Even with bigname bands, a large percentage of Harvard studentsprobably won't go," he says.

The Hillel Men's Group has endorsed Gruenhut'scandidacy.

"The victory of [Gruenhut] over the U.C.bureaucracy is only too reminiscent of the victoryof the ancient version of the Mens' club over theGreeks celebrated next week on Hanukkah," saidDavid Wichs '00, president of the Men's Group

Student groups play a vital role on campus, onethat the council cannot always fill, he says."There are some things the U.C. can't provide.[There are those] students who want to see Gilbertand Sullivan, and not everyone on the U.C. has thegreatest singing voice."

Gruenhut cites a smaller budget for Springfestas a possible source of revenue. "Even with bigname bands, a large percentage of Harvard studentsprobably won't go," he says.

The Hillel Men's Group has endorsed Gruenhut'scandidacy.

"The victory of [Gruenhut] over the U.C.bureaucracy is only too reminiscent of the victoryof the ancient version of the Mens' club over theGreeks celebrated next week on Hanukkah," saidDavid Wichs '00, president of the Men's Group